Author: staff
Travel to Europe could be changing significantly in the next few days. The EU’s Entry/Exit System (EES), which started a phased rollout on 12 October last year in 29 European countries, will become fully operational as of 10 April 2026. This will mean that passport stamps are replaced with digitally recorded entries and exits, along with refusals of entry for non-EU short stay travellers. Biometric information such as facial images and fingerprints, along with personal data from the travel document being used will also be recorded. This new system has been implemented to modernise EU border security and immigration systems,…
For over a week Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has repeatedly stated that Kyiv is ready to help unblock the Strait of Hormuz, which has been disrupted since breakout of the Iran war. However, so far Ukraine has received no requests, Zelenskyy said on Friday. “Our signal to the United States and countries in the Middle East about the Strait of Hormuz was that we were open to discussing it,” he said X. Zelenskyy said no country can lift the blockade on its own at this stage as he insisted that Kyiv has experience with launching the Grain Corridor in the…
Let’s face it, flying isn’t exactly cheap, and taxes take a significant chunk of the bill. Conversations surrounding flight ticket levies in Europe were reignited after Germany’s Finance Ministry revealed that the Federal Cabinet approved plans to roll back flight taxes to 2024 levels. Slated to come into force this July, the changes will see air passenger taxes reduced across all distance bands, with short-haul rates dropping from €15.53 to €13.03, mid-haul from €39.34 to €33.01 and long-haul from €70.83 to €59.43. “The Federal Ministry of Finance considers it important that the reductions are passed on to travellers,” the press…
The year is 2028. Uzbekistan has just opened the doors of its largest museum: the long-awaited National Museum of Uzbekistan. It took three years, more than 1,000 days of meticulous work, and the result feels like the embodiment of patience, vision, and ambition. The architecture makes an impression even before entering. A tunnel-like corridor visually links the museum to the historic Abdulkasim Madrasa, forming a symbolic bridge between centuries-old craftsmanship and contemporary design. Yet beyond the striking exterior, the interior feels surprisingly intimate – a compact, human-scaled space that reads more like a cultural home than a grand institution. A…
Published on 06/04/2026 – 15:07 GMT+2 Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei rejected a new ceasefire proposal, as US President Donald Trump’s deadline for Tehran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz loomed on Monday. A draft proposal formulated by Egypt, Pakistan and Turkey calling for a 45-day ceasefire and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz was sent to Iran and the US, according to the Associated Press. The goal is to create time for broader negotiations and potentially a more lasting peace deal. The proposal was sent by Pakistan late Sunday night to both Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi…
The intervention comes after Trump posted a fiery message on his Truth Social platform on Sunday: “Tuesday will be Power Plant Day, and Bridge Day, all wrapped up in one, in Iran. There will be nothing like it!!! Open the Fuckin’ Strait, you crazy bastards, or you’ll be living in Hell – JUST WATCH!” “Praise be to Allah,” the president added. Experts and lawyers have warned that international law prohibits the deliberate targeting of civilian infrastructure. Asked about the threats on Monday, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt insisted that the U.S. “will always act within the confines of the…
Easter may now be behind us, but many Europeans are already rushing to book their summer 2026 getaways. From Portugal to Greece for those seeking the sun, to Ireland for those chasing cooler days, the continent is packed with dream destinations. But one region is rising above them all — and no, it’s not the usual heavyweights Spain, France or Italy. Croatia’s Adriatic region, or Jadranska Hrvatska, is the most popular destination in the EU for holidaymakers, according to Eurostat data analysed by Europe in Motion. Between June and the end of September 2025, it clocked the highest number of…
Published on 06/04/2026 – 13:38 GMT+2 Spain has exceeded 22 million Social Security contributors for the first time in its history, new labour market data published Monday showed, as Easter demand and growth in the services sector pushed employment to a record high. The seasonally adjusted figure — which strips out the calendar effect — put the number of contributors at 22,010,532, after 80,274 jobs were added in March. In average terms, enrolment reached 21.88 million following the addition of 211,510 employed persons, the largest increase ever recorded for a month of March. In the unadjusted series, enrolment also marked…
Published on 06/04/2026 – 12:53 GMT+2 Celebrities launching liquor brands has become a popular move for artists looking to expand their empire. Now, Johnny Depp is joining the likes of Beyoncé (and her SirDavis Whisky), Margot Robbie (Papa Salt Coastal gin), Brad Pitt (The Gardener Gin), Ryan Reynolds (Aviation Gin), George Clooney (Casamigos Tequila) and countless others with his brand of… you guessed it… rum. Indeed, the Pirates of the Caribbean actor has entered the spirits industry with a Caribbean rum brand called Three Hearts. Launched with longtime friend Bobby DeLeon, Three Hearts is inspired by Depp’s decades-long connection to…
Iran’s Embassy in Thailand suggested the president needed to watch his “language,” while Tehran’s Embassy in Austria wrote, “When you listen to him, close your eyes … you can almost see a Stone Age #caveman in a zebra hide, brandishing a club and treating savagery like everyday life.” The Iranian Embassy in India said, “Swearing and throwing insults are how sore loser brats behave.” Tehran’s Embassy in Finland said Trump’s post showed he was “unfamiliar with proper social media etiquette and morality.” Several other X accounts, purporting to be Iranian embassies in various other countries, also joined in with the trolling. But while the Austrian,…